Vessel carrying aid to US-built pier off Gaza leaves Cyprus

An aerial view of a construction area as construction of the temporary port, to be built to ensure the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, still continues in Gaza City, Gaza on April 29, 2024 [US Central Command (CENTCOM)/Anadolu via Getty Images]

A vessel carrying aid to a pier built by the US off Gaza set sail from Cyprus today, marine tracking websites showed according to Reuters.

The US-flagged Sagamore left the port of Larnaca this morning. US officials have said the vessel will be used to offload supplies onto a floating pier built to expedite aid into the besieged enclave.

There was no immediate comment from Cypriot authorities, which had earlier said the ship would sail as soon as the floating platform was in place, subject to weather conditions.

Some 2.3 million of Gaza’s population are facing imminent famine as a result of Israel’s complete siege on the Strip, launched in October 2023.

Cyprus opened a sea corridor in March to ship aid directly to Gaza, where deliveries via land have been severely disrupted by Israel’s closure of the enclave’s borders and the occupation army’s military operations and targeting of aid trucks.

US-based charity World Food Kitchen (WFK) used the route twice before seven of its workers were killed in Israeli air strikes on 1 April.

READ: US military pier for Gaza to shift construction because of weather

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